The story which we have now to relate is a very
touching
one, and it becomes even more interesting when we know that it is based
on
real fact. In the little town of Ingelheim there was a beautiful marble
castle,
the favourite residence of Charlemagne. He often retired to this
lonely,
peaceful spot accompanied only by a few of his faithful vassals and the
members
of his own family. Eginhard, the emperor's private secretary, was never
missing
from this little circle.

Charlemagne thought highly of this man, then in
the prime
of youth, on account of his profound knowledge and extraordinary
talents.
The young scholar, so different from the wise councillors not only in
his
learning but in his cultivated manners, was a great favourite among the
ladies
of the court.

Eginhard who was a constant companion of the
emperor,
had also become an intimate member of the family circle, and
Charlemagne
entrusted him with the education of his favourite child Emma, daughter
of
his wife Gismonda. This dark-eyed maiden was considered the most
beautiful
of her age, and the young scholar could not long remain cold and
indifferent
to her charms. The undisturbed hours which should have been spent in
learning,
led to a mutual understanding. Eginhard struggled to remind himself of
his
duty towards his sovereign, but love overcame him, and soon an oath of
eternal
fidelity united these young hearts.

II.

The great emperor ought to have known what would be the
consequence
of allowing the young scholar to ,enjoy the society of his dark-eyed,
passionate
daughter. In the still hours of the night when all the inmates of the
castle
lay wrapped in sleep, Eginhard sought the chamber of his beloved. She
listened
enchanted to the glowing words of his burning heart, but their love was
chaste
and pure, no gusts of passion troubling them.

But fate was against these lovers. One night they
were
sitting in Emma's chamber talking confidentially together. The great
palace
was veiled in darkness, no ray of light, no star was to be seen in the
heavens.
As Eginhard Was about to leave the chamber, he perceived that the
courtyard
below was covered with snow. It would have been impossible to pass
across
it without leaving a trace behind him, but at all risks he must reach
his
room.

What was to be done? Love is ingenious. After
considering
for some time together, they both concluded that there was but one way
to
prevent their being betrayed. The slender maiden took her lover on her
back
and carried him across the courtyard, thus leaving behind only her
small
foot-prints.

It happened that Charles the Great had not yet
sought
the repose he needed so much, as care banished sleep from his eyes. He
sat
at his window and looked out into the silent night. In the courtyard
below
he perceived a shadow crossing the pavement and, looking carefully, he
recognised
his favourite daughter Emma carrying a man on her back. – Yes I and
this
man was Eginhard his great favourite. Pain and anger struggled in his
heart.
He wanted to rush down and kill him– an emperor's
daughter and a mere
secretary– but with a great
effort he restrained
himself, mastered the violent
agitation
which this unexpected sight caused him, and went back to his chamber to
wait
wearily for dawn.

III.

The next day Charles assembled his councillors.
They
were all horrified to see his ghastly look; his brow was dark, and
sorrow
was depicted on every feature. Eginhard looked at his master
apprehending
coming evil. Charlemagne stood up and spake:

"What does a royal princess deserve, who receives
the
visit of a man at night?" The councillors looked at each other
speechless.
Eginhard's countenance became white as death. The councillors soon
guessed
the name of the royal princess, and they consulted together for some
time
not knowing what to say, but at last one councillor answered:–

"Your Majesty, we think that a weak woman must not
be
punished for anything done out of love."

"And what does a favourite of the emperor deserve
who
creeps into a royal princess' chamber at night?"

Charlemagne cast a dark look at his secretary, who
trembled
and became even paler. "Alas! all is lost," murmured he to himself.
Then,
raising his voice, he said, "Death, my Master and Emperor!"

Charles looked at the young man full of
astonishment.
The wrath in his soul melted at this self-accusation and fervent
repentance.
Deep silence followed this answer, and in a few minutes the emperor
dismissed
his councillors, making a sign at the same time to Eginhard to follow
him.

Without a word Charles led him into his private
chamber,
where in answer to his summons, Emma appeared.

Her heart misgave her as she saw the dark look on
her
father's face and the troubled features of her beloved. She understood
all
at once, and with a convulsive cry of pain threw herself at her
father's
feet.

The emperor remained silent. After a time he began
to
speak earnestly and coldly at first, but his voice changed to a milder
tone
on hearing the sobs of his favourite child.

"I shall not separate you who are bound to each
other
by love. A priest shall unite you, and at dawn to-morrow you must both
be
gone from the castle, never to return."

He left them, shutting the door behind him. The beautiful
maiden sank down on her knees, only half conscious in her grief of what
her
father had said. But Eginhard's soft voice soon whispered in her ear.

"Do not weep, Emma. By thrusting you from him,
your father,
my master, has only bound us together for ever. Come," he continued in
a
trembling voice, alarmed at her passionate tears, "we must go, but love
will
be ever with us."

The next day two pilgrims left the castle of
Ingelheim,
and took the road in the direction of Mayence.

IV.

Time wore on.

Charles the Great had made war on Saxony, had set
the
Roman crown upon his own head, and had become famous throughout the
whole
world. But all his fame had not prevented his hair from becoming grey,
nor
his heart from being sad. A mournful picture had imprinted itself on
his
mind, despite all his efforts to forget the past. In the evening when
the
setting sun glittered on the marble pillars of the royal palace,
casting
its golden rays into the chamber of the great emperor, it would find
him
sitting motionless in his carved oak-chair, his grey head buried in his
hands,
mournful dreams troubling his peace. He was thinking of the days which
were
past, of the young man whose gentle ways made him so different from the
rough
warriors of the court, how he used to recite poetry and Sing the songs
of
the old bards so passionately, and the old legends which the emperor
prized
so much, how he used to read to him from the old gray parchment which
he,
Eginhard, had written so carefully, how his own favourite dark-eyed
daughter
had so often been present, sitting at his feet listening intently to
the
reader– all this came back
to his memory,
saddening his heart, and
filling
his eyes with tears.

V.

Bugle-horns sounded through the forest, Charles
and his
followers were at the chase. The old emperor, seeking to forget his
grief,
had seized his spear and had gone out to hunt.

In his eagerness to follow a magnificent stag he had become
separated from his escort. The sun was already low in the west; the
animal,
now seeing no way of escape, as his pursuer was close behind him,
dashed
into a river and swam to the other side. The emperor, in hot pursuit
and
much exhausted, arrived at the water's edge, and for the first time
noticed
that he was alone, and in a part of the country quite unknown to him.

The river lay before him and the forest behind,
but the
latter seemed to be quite impenetrable. It was already night, and
Charles
sought in vain to find some path or track.

As he was looking round him, he perceived a light in
the distance. Greatly pleased he started off in that direction, and
found
a little hut close to the river, but on looking through the window
Charlemagne
saw that the room was a very poor one.

"Perhaps this is the hermitage of some pious man,"
thought
he, and knocked at the door, whereupon a fair-haired man appeared on
the
threshold.

Without mentioning his name, the emperor informed
him
of what had happened, and begged shelter for the night.

At the sound of this loved voice, the man
trembled, but
controlling himself, he invited the emperor to enter. A young woman was
sitting
on a stool rocking a baby in her arms. She started, became very pale at
the
sight of the emperor, and then hurried into the next room to hide her
emotion;
Charles sat down, and refusing refreshment from his host leaned his
head
wearily on his hands.

Minutes passed, and still he sat there lost in
thought,
dreaming of those happy by-gone days. At last the sweet prattle of a
child
roused him, and looking up he saw a little girl about five years old at
his
side, stretching out her arms to him, bidding him goodnight. Charles
looked
closely at the little angel-like creature, his heart throbbing within
him.

"What is your name, little one?" asked he.

"Emma," answered the child.

"Emma," repeated Charles with tears in his eyes,
and
drawing the child closer to him he pressed a kiss on its forehead.

In a moment the man and his young wife were at the
emperor's
feet imploring pardon. "Emma! Eginhard!" cried he with great emotion,
embracing
them both. "Blessed be the place where I have found you again!"

Emma and Eginhard returned in great pomp to the
emperor's
court. The latter gave them his beautiful palace at Ingelheim, and only
felt
himself happy when he was with them.

He caused a cloister to be built on the spot where
he
had found them again, which to the present day is called
"Seligenstadt,"
"town of the happy."

In the church belonging to this little town the
tomb
of Eginhard and Emma is still shown, for according to their wishes,
their
bones were interred in the same coffin.